I haven't been very interested in these mid-terms so far. I don't see them as a referendum on Donald Trump. I think Trump has been so marginalized by his ouster, all he has now is a bullhorn. That's why he's making his big announcement next week. He is just trying to grab a piece of the spotlight to remind people he's still here. I see the voter switch to Republicans as being more a rejection of Joe Biden and Democrats. The country is still having serious economic problems, COVID is still with us, everyone is griping about this or that and it seems like the best way to turn things around is to vote for the other guys. Trump is a grain of sand until he gets a national platform back to disingenuously espouse his agenda.
Whichever Democrat consultant decided that "protecting democracy" was a good advertising theme for the Dems should be fired. Voters don't care about that -- they care about whether they can feed their families, buy a first or bigger house, get health insurance, and have faith that the bridge they cross on the way to work won't collapse for lack of funds spent on our infrastructure. Some care about abortion. As for masks and COVID-19, the Dems lost the battle to have them viewed through a scientific lens, rather than from the lens of the ignorant who believe the issue is political and a restraint on freedom.
The Republicans have also been making a big outreach to Latino and Hispanic voters. They already have an edge with those who came here from Cuba and Venezuela where their livelihoods were destroyed by so-called leftist or communist dictators. But can they garner the votes of those from Mexico and Puerto Rico, who haven't faced such trauma?
Older citizens should be out voting en masse, with GOP House members threatening Medicare and Social Security. Anyone who relies on or cares about those programs should be first in line to vote. You snooze, you lose.
The New York Times has this chart of when the polls close in each state. You do need to vote.
From my vantage point, I see other countries that surpass the U.S. I read tweets by leaders of countries that are actually about accomplishments, rather than battles with legislatures and obstructionist political opponents. I see citizens of these countries who are filled with pride about where they are from.
I don't see that here. For four years the country's ship was steered by a madman. For the last two years, it's been steered by a man so old and set in his ways that he doesn't turn left or right, he's just in a state of enertia. He doesn't inspire. He doesn't radiate hope. He's not someone we believe in. He's like a placeholder for those of us who hope there are better things to come.
I suppose the real question is what will today's election results mean for 2024. Is there a Democrat out there you hope will run and you think can win? I'm all ears.
>p> Update 10:24 pm: Congrats to Colorado Governor Jared Polis who won a second term easily tonight. I'm glad to see that Sen. Michael Bennet also won re-election, and of course, our indefatigable Congresswoman Diana DeGette.